Archetyp Market Shut Down in Europe-wide Law Enforcement Operation

A Europe-wide law enforcement operation has shut down Archetyp Market, the longest-running drug marketplace on the dark web.

Authorities across six countries carried out coordinated raids between June 11 and 13, targeting the platform’s infrastructure and key personnel.

The action, dubbed Operation Deep Sentinel, involved Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Sweden, and was supported by Europol, Eurojust and US authorities. Around 300 officers were deployed during the takedown, which resulted in the platform being taken offline, several arrests and the seizure of approximately €7.8m ($9m) in assets.

Archetyp Market had been operating for over five years and attracted over 600,000 users globally. It facilitated over €250m (4290m) in transactions and offered more than 17,000 listings, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl – substances increasingly associated with overdose deaths in Europe and beyond.

The 30-year-old administrator of the platform, a German national, was arrested in Barcelona. At the same time, law enforcement in Germany and Sweden took action against a moderator and six top vendors. The site’s technical infrastructure, hosted in the Netherlands, was dismantled.

Background on Archetyp Market

The takedown marks the end of one of the most established criminal marketplaces of its kind. In addition to drugs like cocaine, MDMA and amphetamines, Archetyp Market was known for facilitating the anonymous trade of high-risk substances, placing it alongside notorious former darknet platforms such as Silk Road and Dream Market.

Read more on Silk Road-related crime: Silk Road Thief Pleads Guilty to $3.4bn Raid

“With this takedown, law enforcement has taken out one of the dark web’s longest-running drug markets, cutting off a major supply line for some of the world’s most dangerous substances,” said Jean-Philippe Lecouffe, Europol’s deputy executive director of operations.

“By dismantling its infrastructure and arresting its key players, we are sending a clear message: there is no safe haven for those who profit from harm.”

The operation followed years of investigation into the platform’s network and operations. Authorities tracked financial transactions, analyzed forensic evidence and worked closely with international counterparts to uncover the individuals behind the marketplace.

Investigations are ongoing and may lead to additional arrests or prosecutions. Authorities emphasized that cooperation across borders, combined with targeted technical expertise, played a critical role in the platform’s closure.

A seizure notice has replaced the former marketplace, and a message directed at the underground economy has published.